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HIGH
WATER
LINE

DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA 2015

The HighWaterLine was chalked in three historic neighborhoods at significant risk due to rising water. The historic neighborhoods were highlighted in order for the public to understand the history that could be lost if sea level rise, and other climate disruptions, proceed without the planning suggested in the Southeast Florida Climate Action Plan.

Presented by: Florida Earth Festival, The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County, and The City of Delray Beach.

Delray Beach’s HighWaterLine  was part of a broad initiative supported by a coalition of non-partisan non-profit organizations (the Climate Action Coalition of South Florida) to engage the public in dialogue about the social ramifications of sea level rise and extreme weather. Delray Beach was chosen as the HighWaterLine project site because it is one of the first cities in Palm Beach County to pass a resolution in support of the Southeast Florida Climate Change Compact.

The three Delray Beach neighborhoods chosen for the HighWaterLine project were:

  • the Nassau Park Historic District, on the barrier island East of the Intracoastal Waterway, with many homes and other structures dating to the early 20th Century;

  • the Marina Historic District on the “mainland” (west) side of the Intracoastal Waterway

  • “Frog Alley,” the city’s historically black community, founded in 1900 by Bahamian workers recruited to work on building the railroad and in the pineapple fields. Frog Alley is currently under consideration as an historic district.

Simultaneous Art Interventions

  • Art Treasure Hunt - in parks that  would be seriously impacted by a four foot sea level rise. In the six parks targeted, an art treasure hunt was fielded. Participants could find small pink talisman in the parks and  return it to receive a an artist created tile.

  •  Stormdrain Murals - vulnerable storm drains were painted with vibrant murals by artist-led teams of community members.

  • Message Mural - visitors and residents were encouraged to express their wishes about action on Sea Level Rise

  • Blue Light Procession - residents carried blue LED lights along the lines, meeting in a central park for a Blue Light dance choreographed by Dale Andree of National Water Dance.

With gratitude to:

Creator of HighWaterLine and Consulting Artist: Eve Mosher

Consulting HighWaterLine Artist: Heidi Quante

HighWaterLine Delray Beach Co-Producers: Barbara Eriv, Janice Taylor Booher      

Sponsors of HighWaterLine Delray Beach: The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County, The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Boca Raton, Florida Earth Festival, U.S. Green Building Council of South Florida, FAU Pine Jog Environmental Center,The City of Delray Beach, Toussaint L’Ouverture High School for Arts and Social Justice, Climate Action Coalition of South Florida

Additional Participating Organizations: First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches , Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group, Audubon Society of the Everglades, Arthur R. Marshall Foundation for the Everglades, MoveOn Council of South Palm Beach – North Broward,Organizing for Action of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, The Delray Beach Rising Waters Task Force, Quaker Earthcare Witness

Participating Scholars: Keren Prize Bolter, Ph.D.  Florida Atlantic University, Center for Environmental Studies, Sandra Norman, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Department of History

The Arts Collaborations: 

  • Arts Collaborations Planning Committee: Mary Jo Aagerstoun, Ken Horkavy, Elle Schorr, Carolyn Pendleton-Parker, Francesca Mallows, Sharon Koskoff 

  • The “Message Mural:” Design: Sharon Koskoff  Painting: Fifth Graders, Plumosa Elementary School of the Arts

  • The Stormdrain Murals: Director/Lead organizer: Jesse Etelson

    • Lead artists: Jesse Etelson, Kimberly Heise, Amber Reed, Leonardo Hinojosa, K’Tavious Walker, Jeff Needle, Francesca Mallows

    • Community artists: Agata Ren, Faye Pelosi, Delray Students First

  • The Art Treasure Hunt: Lead Artists: Sharon Koskoff, Ken Horkavy

  • HWL Tile Artists: Agata Ren  Brianna Keller Carla Golembe Carlos Ferreira Haydee Ullfig Jim & Tina Ballentine Kate Alison Austin Ken Horkavy Kevin Rouse/Kevro Lisa and James Quillian Lynn Korp Sarah & Katie McGillivray Sharon Koskoff Sharon Kurlychek Sharyle Doherty Shelly Armas Susan Tenenbaum Tim Marking

  • Blue Light Procession and Dance Finale: Dale Andree, choreographer, Founder, National Water Dance. Lead Dancers: Gaby Rosario, Lauren Palmieri, Deborah Kahan

  • Live Music: Public Sounds Collective (http://www.publicsoundscollective.com/shows/)

  • Many thanks to Neil Young for his gracious permission to use his anthem “Who’s Gonna Stand Up for the Earth?” as the project’s theme song

  • Video and Photography: Sharon Koskoff, Ken Horkavy, Jan Booher, Elle Schorr

Special Thanks to the City of Delray Beach and John Morgan, Office of Sustainability

The Blue Light Procession was funded by City of Delray Beach Public Art Advisory Board
With Appreciation to Funders of HighWaterLine Delray Beach

This Project was Funded In Part by The Unitarian Universalist Fund for Social Responsibility

Funding for this program was provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in HighWaterLine Delray Beach do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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